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Last December, in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., Trump called for “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”

“Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life,” Trump’s Dec. 7 statement declared.

The statement provoked widespread condemnation of Trump, who throughout the campaign insisted increased controls on immigration were essential to protect national security.

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By June, Trump’s proposal was already changing, even though he never renounced the ban on Muslims.

At that time, he said his proposal would “suspend immigration from areas of the world when there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe, or our allies.”

When asked about that position in July, Trump said that his call to ban immigrants from “any nation that has been compromised by terrorism” was an “expansion” of his original concept.

“I actually don’t think it’s a rollback. In fact, you could say it’s an expansion,” Trump said in July. “I’m looking now at territory. People were so upset when I used the word Muslim. Oh, you can’t use the word Muslim. Remember this. And I’m OK with that, because I’m talking territory instead of Muslim.”

During the presidential debates, Trump said that increased scrutiny would accompany any requests for entering the United States.

“It’s called extreme vetting. We are going to areas like Syria where they’re coming in by the tens of thousands because of (President) Barack Obama and (Democrat) Hillary (Clinton),” Trump said at the second presidential debate.

“I believe in building safe zones. I believe in having other people pay for them. As an example, the Gulf states who are not carrying their weight but they have nothing but money and (can) take care of people.”